Welcome to The Velvet Onion – the central hub for an interconnected range of alternative comedy and more. Click through for the LATEST NEWS, and see what’s so hot right now below.

SEVEN IN ONE

This week sees not one, not two, but SEVEN great shows with direct TVO connections airing across UK television and radio. The result is over three hours of brand new great comedy for you to enjoy. Each one is as important as the other to us, as has always been The Velvet Onion way, so we’ll tackle them in chronological order.

MONDAY: DRUNK HISTORY

Now at the new time of 9:30pm on Monday 26th, the third episode of Drunk History UK once more sees famous British comedians get absolutely plastered in the name of reciting tales from the past – which are then re-enacted by a top notch cast.

MONDAY: CATASTROPHE

Monday 26th at 10pm brings us Episode Two of Catastrophe - the brand new comedy from Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, in which an American man and an Irish woman fall in love in London whilst navigating the choppy waters of their increasingly complicated lives.

In this week’s edition, Sharon faces the reality of having a giant new room-mate in the form of Rob, the man whose child she happens to be carrying, and her brother Fergal (Jonathan Forbes) doesn’t make life any easier. Rob also meets up with an old school friend and comes up with a proper proposal to help Sharon feel better about their situation.

It’s another first rate episode, following up the huge promise of last week’s debut with a refreshingly honest, remarkably brutal and deeply satisfying take on modern life and relationships. If you missed Episode One, you can catch up with the series now via 4oD. Sharon and Rob were also on BBC Breakfast last week, which you can see for yourself below.

TUESDAY: COCKROACHES

Tuesday evening (27th January) at 10pm sees Episode Three of Cockroaches air on ITV2. The post-apocalyptic comedy stars Daniel Lawrence Taylor (How Not to Life Your Life), Esher Smith, Jack Whitehall and Tom Davis, alongside a string of big name guest stars such as Dan Skinner, Alexander Armstrong, Caroline Quentin, Robert Bathurst and Nigel Planer.

In this week’s episode, Tom (Daniel Lawrence Taylor) assembles a team to go to the supermarket as the camp is running out of food, where the group discover Steve Giggle: a terrified old children’s entertainer, as well as Spectrum: a gang of cannibal women roaming the countryside and preying on unfortunate victims.

Last week’s edition featured Dan Skinner a little earlier than we realised, and is available to view on ITV Player, alongside the Laurie Rose shot first episode, right now.

TUESDAY (and Wednesday): COUNT ARTHUR STRONG

Also on Tuesday 27th January comes Episode Four of the second series of Count Arthur Strong - airing on BBC One at three different times, depending on your location.

Viewers in England can see it at the slightly later than usual time of 10:45pm, whilst those watching in Northern Ireland have to wait until 11:10pm. However, if you’re in Wales, you’ve got to wait even longer, as it airs at 11:15pm – and poor ol’ Scotland has to wait until Wednesday for an airing at 10:30pm!

Despite the schedule shuffling, the series from the pens of star Steve Delaney and Graham Linehan (best known for The IT Crowd and Father Ted), is still going strong. In Episode Four, a conman posing as a plumber has swindled the locals out of hundreds of pounds, but he soon regrets the day he tangled with Arthur.

WEDNESDAY: LOVE IN RECOVERY

Wednesday evening sees the return of Love in Recovery to Radio 4 for it’s fourth episode. If you haven’t checked in yet, the series – written by Pete Jackson – follows the lives of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting group, made up of characters portrayed by Sue Johnston, John Hannah, Eddie Marsan, Rebecca Front and Paul Kaye, whilst Julia Deakin plays village hall cleaner Marion.

In this fourth episode, Andy has a date for the first time in….well….longer than he’d like to admit. It’s up to the rest of the group to rally round and get him match fit. It’s another charming episode of a show based upon the real life experiences of Pete Jackson, and with one of the greatest casts ever assembled for a radio comedy, it’s a must listen. If you missed them, you can catch all previous episodes on iPlayer now.

THURSDAY: CRIMS

Thursday evening brings us Episode Four of Crims - the new BBC Three sitcom from the pens of Mongrels writer Adam Kay and Grandma’s House writer Dan Swimer – at 10pm. Starring Elis James and Kadiff Kirwan, alongside Cariad Lloyd, Ricky Champ and Theo Barklem Biggs, the show has been attracting rave reviews and is a firm favourite in the iPlayer charts, which is good news – as it continues to build on its starting blocks for the rest of its run.

In this week’s episode, a prisoner manages to escape the Young Offenders Institution, and Prison Governor Riley – played by guest star Tracy Ann Oberman of Toast of London, Big Train and Doctor Who fame – goes on the warpath to discover how he did it. With Creg in the firing line, Marcel forces Luke to work out how he did it.

It’s another suitably bonkers episode, with the cast on great form and some one-liners to die for. If you’ve missed previous episodes, you can catch up on iPlayer now.

If this isn’t enough Colin for you, don’t forget his regular updates to his YouTube channel, with new videos appearance every weekday until, he collapses from comedic exhaustion (never gonna happen). You can enjoy them all below.

WHEN I’M FIVE

It’s hard to believe it, but The Velvet Onion marks an important landmark of its own this week. We officially launched on January 30th 2010, making us five years old on Friday!

In that time, we’ve had numerous contributors and written thousands of articles on New Wave Comedy, as well as offering countless exclusives, dozens of competitions and a direct connection to many of the biggest and best names on the alternative comedy scene.

And we’ve got so much more to do. Thank you for the last five years, here’s to five more, and watch out on Friday when we’ll be bringing you a little treat to celebrate. As always – stay peeled.

AND THE REST…

As always, here’s some of the news you may have missed during the last week, via our Twitter feed. We’ll see you again next Monday, and throughout the week for more news, reviews and interviews, plus that Friday treat!

Welcome to The Velvet Onion – the central hub for an interconnected range of alternative comedy and more. Click through for the LATEST NEWS, and see what’s so hot right now below.

CATASTROPHE FOR SHARON HORGAN

Monday 19th sees the launch of Catastrophe - the brand new comedy from Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, in which an American man and an Irish woman fall in love in London whilst navigating the choppy waters of their increasingly complicated lives.

With the pair embarking on a wild affair, Rob is forced to abandon plans to return to the US when Sharon falls pregnant and he vows to stick around and provide the support she so desperately needs.

First developed after a hugely popular web short, Kinky Sex, the show is hilarious and very, very rude, and sees Horgan’s welcome return to writing tv comedy of her own, following Dead Boss and Pulling.

With Ashley Jensen (Extras) and Mark Bonnar (Psychoville) in supporting roles, Catastrophe is full of promise and well worth your attention. You can see a trailer for the show below, and catch the first episode on Monday 19th January at 10pm on Channel 4. It will, of course, be available on 4oD after transmission, and we hope to bring you some catastrophic exclusive very soon, so stay peeled.

TELLY CONTINUATIONS

Catastrophe isn’t the only TVO related show on telly this week, as Drunk History, Cockroaches, Count Arthur Strongand Crims all continue their runs on Comedy Central, ITV2, BBC One and BBC Three, respectively.

Drunk History- airing Monday evening at 10pm, with repeats throughout the week – features top UK comedians getting bladdered, then talking their way through key moments in history… which are then re-enacted by a team of top notch comedy talent.

Based on the hit US show, Episode One featured Tony Way, Rebecca Front, Dustin Demi-Burns, Matt Horne, Marek Larewood and many more – most of whom should be appearing in later episodes, too. Sadly, as we went to press, information on Episode Two is thin on the ground, but we’ll update this page with more info after transmission.

If you’re worried about the clash with Catastrophe, the show gets repeated on Tuesday evening at 11pm, and it will be available on demand via SkyGo and Now TV after transmission. For more info, and some preview clips to savour, visit the Comedy Central UK website.

The show is set following a nuclear holocaust, as the remnants of the British population do their best to get on with life. The first episode was shot by acclaimed cinematographer Laurie Rose (Sightseers, High Rise, Kill List), and guest stars across the rest of the run include Alexander Armstrong (Armstrong & Miller), Nigel Planer (The Young Ones) and Dan Skinner.

In Episode Two, newly appointed leader Tom struggles with people fighting, a broken water supply system, and the ever-present threat from cannibals. Elsewhere, Suze attempts to set up a school, and daughter Laura is forced to answer questions about her mum and Oscar. Caroline Quentin guests in this episode, and you can catch up via ITV Player now.

Directly after Cockroaches, hop on over to BBC One to catch the third episode of Count Arthur Strong‘s second series at 10:35pm. Unless you’re in Wales, in which case, it’s on at 11:05pm. And if you’re in Scotland, it’s on at 11:35pm!

In case you’re new to the show, it’s the brainchild of Steve Delaney, who plays the titular character, and is written by Delaney with Graham Linehan of The IT Crowd, Big Train and Father Ted fame. Bond star Rory Kinnear co-stars as the son of Arthur’s former variety partner, turned biographer and generally put-upon collaborator.

This week, Arthur plans to tackle noise pollution by running for the local election. He gathers together a crack team which cannot be ignored… or can they?

Lastly, but by no means least, Crims returns on Thursday evening at 10pm on BBC Three. The sitcom starring Ellis George, Kadiff Kirwan, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Ricky Champ and Cariad Lloyd is written by former Mongrels writer Adam Kay alongside Grandma’s House writer Dan Swimer, and is set in a young offenders institute.

This week, put upon accidental criminal Luke decides to propose to his girlfriend Gemma, in an attempt to send a clear message to her new flatmate Roger. However, first he must try and get her parent’s permission, and her brother Jason isn’t helping. Meanwhile, Isaac struggles to give up snitching, and Dawn continues to fend off the advances of hapless Creg.

It’s another great episode from a sitcom that just gets better and better, and we sure hope you’ll be tuning in. You can catch up on previous episodes, including Sylvester McCoy’s star guest turn in Episode Two, via iPlayer now.

RADIO LAYERS

Radio shows featuring TVO regulars also continue apace this week, starting with Love in Recovery, on Radio 4 starring Paul Kaye.

The show following the lives of five very different recovering alcoholics, played by Sue Johnson, John Hannah, Eddie Marsan, Rebecca Front and Paul Kaye, as well as cleaner Marion (Julia Deakin), continues on Wednesday evening at 11:15pm on BBC Radio 4, with previous episodes available now on iPlayer.

Elsewhere, Colin Hoult brings us another edition of his Carnival of Monsters on Thursday evening.

The show features a combination of new material and vintage pieces from Colin’s seminal Edinburgh shows, and reunites the team behind those via supporting artists Stephen Evans, Dan Snelgrove and Zoe Gardner, produced by Sam Bryant (Alice’s Wunderland, I Regress).

You can hear the latest episode at 11:00pm on Thursday night – again on Radio 4, with previous episodes available now on iPlayer.

Elsewhere, Colin continues his five-weekly vlog posts from a range of characters trapped in his mind. You can see all the latest videos below.

AND THE REST…

As always, here’s some of the news you may have missed during the last week, via our Twitter feed. We’ll see you again next Monday, and throughout the week for more news, reviews and interviews. Keep on peeling!

Welcome to The Velvet Onion – the central hub for an interconnected range of alternative comedy and more. Click through for the LATEST NEWS, and see what’s so hot right now below.

THE RETURN OF BRIAN PERN

This week sees the long awaited return of Brian Pern to our screens, in the brand new series Brian Pern: A Life in Rock. As always, the show is the brainchild of Fast Show veterans Rhys Thomas and Simon Day, the latter of whom plays the titular prog-rock legend turned hapless world music pioneer and obscure charity fundraiser.

Whilst the first series, The Life of Rock with Brian Pern focused more on telling the story of rock across the generations in documentary format, the second shifts its tone to be more of a candid look at the life of Brian, and those around him. This includes his luxury yacht loving manager John Farrow (brilliantly brought to life by Michael Kitchen), world music goddess Pepita (TVO regular Lucy Montgomery), Brian’s former bandmates in Thotch (including Paul Whitehouse and Nigel Havers as Pat Quid and Tony Pebble) and his driver Ned (Tony Way).

Also along for the ride this series are big name guest stars Martin Freeman, Jack Whitehall, Kathy Burke, Roger Allum, Kevin Eldon, Chrissie Hynde, Mel C, Roger Taylor, Roy Wood, Rick Parfitt and more. TVO devoured all three episodes in one sitting, and can confirm this is a joyous continuation of a much loved character, with a wonderful set of supporting characters filling out his world, and once more – some glorious tunes (courtesy of Steve Burge) in the mix.

You’d be mad to miss it. And if you tune in to BBC Two on Tuesday evening at 10pm, you won’t. Stay peeled this week for an exclusive interview with creators Simon Day & Rhys Thomas, and maybe a word or two from Brian Pern himself…

COMEDY COLLAB

If you haven’t caught up with Colin Hoult‘s unique blend of dark humour and outright silliness yet, you’ve probably not been reading TVO properly. First coming to our attention via his work with Julian Barratt & Dave McNeill on Zimbani, the character comedian has crafted numerous sell out live shows and appeared on our screens in shows as varied as House of Rooms, Derek, Life’s Too Short and Being Human.

Now he’s back with some of his most beloved live favourites, preparing for an onslaught of sheer characterness on his own YouTube channel. Five days a week, Colin will be posting a new vlog from one of the strange people in his mindtank, starting today!

Mondays will bring us a new video from the delightful (if failed) actress Anna Mann, whilst Tuesdays are a chance to get some expert tips on survival, scriptwriting and what movies you must all watch on pain of a poke in the eye, from Ninja Turtle fan Andy Parker.

On Wednesdays, everything will be coming up Saint Germain, as we get a little jazzy with our favourite beret wearer, Eddie Cartizian. And on Thursdays, its time for care in the community, as the Mighty God Thwor weilds his powerful hammer in our direction. Bang, bang.

Finally, each Friday will bring us a surprise guest from Colin’s oeuvre, including new characters and old favourites – some of whom you may remember from his excellent radio series Carnival of Monsters, which is due back on Radio 4 soon. You can see the first episode, featuring Anna Mann discussing her old actress friend Miriam Crotch below, and don’t forget to subscribe to see more!

ONIONS AIRING

As we’re keen to keep reminding you, there’s a large bevvy of shows currently airing with TVO connections. Monday nights see not one, not two, but three new shows to savour beaming into your homes: Trollied on Sky One at 8:30pm featuring Aisling Bea; Never Mind the Buzzcocks on BBC Two at 10pm, featuring Noel Fielding alongside Phill Jupitus and Rhod Gilbert; and Toast of London on Channel 4 at 10:35pm, featuring Matt Berry.

But wait – there’s more on telly this week! Psychobitches continues on Sky Arts every Tuesday evening, featuring Sharon Horgan, Katy Brand, Reece Shearsmith and many many more, whilst Not Going Out featuring Katy Wix returns to BBC One on Friday evening. It’s a good time to be an Onioner, eh?

HOOKED TO THE SILVER SCREEN

Don’t forget that Paddington - directed by Paul King and featuring a host of TVO cameos amongst is big-name cast – is currently wowing the crowds in UK cinemas, having taken a whopping £5.1 million in its opening weekend alone!

Also out at the moment are Bill Murray vehicle Saint Vincent, featuring Chris O’Dowd, and a film which almost sneaked past our radar – submarine-based action thriller Black Sea starring Jude Law, Tobias Menzies, David Threlfall and Michael Smiley. US readers can see the film, alongside Paddington in January. Check out the US trailer below.

THE BRAIN SUCKING CONTINUES

Finally this week, the campaign to get a movie version of The Day They Came to Suck Out Our Brains off the ground needs your help to reach its goal, and we’ll leave you with this clip of TVO regular Stephen Evans to explain why.

Voting for the 2013 Comedy.co.uk Awards has now opened, so pour yourself a large glass of something cold and head on over there to cast your votes!

The nomination lists for the Comedy.co.uk Awards are notoriously comprehensive, so if your taste in TV and radio comedy is wide and varied, chances are they’ve got it covered. What’s more, there are a ton of TVO-connected shows on offer.

For Best TV Sitcom the list includes Count Arthur Strong, Family Tree, Man Down, Bob Servant Independent, Yonderland and Heading Out; for Best Returning Sitcom you’ll find IT Crowd and Phoneshop amongst the nominees; Best TV Sketch Show features Anna & Katy, Fit, Horrible Histories, It’s Kevin and Psychobitches; Best Radio Sketch Show includes Alice’s Wunderland and Colin Hoult’s Carnival of Monsters; Best TV Panel Show includes BFQOTY, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Was It Something I Said?; Best Comedy Drama offers Black Mirror and Crackanory as options; and finally Best Overall 2013 Comedy reads as a who’s who of The Velvet Onion (with a few exceptions – well, you can’t win em all!).

The continuing adventures of Colin Hoult continue apace as Edinburgh Festival draws ever nearer, and Colin will be bringing not one, but TWO separate shows to this year’s calendar.

As we’ve mentioned previously, the comic genius will be appearing in new show Characthorse (not Charactwhores, as Colin first told us!) which he suggests will be “very silly, very funny and surprisingly not dark” – promising brand new characters to savour.

On top of that, Colin will also be mounting a fully fledged theatrical incarnation of his fledging Real Horror Show at the Festival, with a top-notch guest cast which will be revealed in due course. We’re sure there will be more warm-ups in the weeks and months to come, but for now you can book to see the debut of Characthorse at the Udderbelly on London’s South Bank in June.

Before then, comes Colin Hoult’s Carnival Of Monstersfor BBC Radio 4, currently planned for a July broadcast. Produced by Sam Bryant (Alice’s Wunderland), the show will also feature his regular collaborators Dan Snellgrove and Zoe Gardner, as well as his Being Humanco-star Damien Molony!

On the subject of Being Human, Colin’s appearances in Series Five as hedonistic vampire Crumb will be available on dvd and blu-ray from April 8th – and he’ll be joining co-star Michael Socha on the bill for sci-fi convention Collectormania19 at Milton Keynes Dons Stadium on May 27th.

All of this, plus his appearances in Life’s Too Short, The Day They Came To Suck Out Our Brains and the forthcoming Pappys tv show The Secret Dude Society make Colin Hoult one of the busiest men in showbiz! If we can pin him down for long enough, we’ll hopefully be having one of our semi-regular Hoult-grilling sessions on all of this before the radio show airs, so stay peeled to find out more.